Project X: Offering #12 - Blind Review (Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo)

'Natch by now, I will break down flavors into categories as you will see below. I then shall note any flavor which arises. Too, I will grade according to my K A P L O W I T Z Scale guidelines. This all shall be noted and notated at every 1/3.

I will then offer a final grade ruling. THEN, on ye next Radio Herf (check yer local listings), Mr. Darryl Martin shall reveal what it is that I reviewed. We'll kibbitz 'bout it.

Blind review, yes? Oh, yes. Blind review.

THE CIGAR

*classified*
DECLASSIFIED
Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo

Nicaraguan Puro

ACT I

FLAVORS

Animal: Gamey.
Sweet: Dried fruit. Honey. Creamy. Caramelized sugar. Black Cherry. Bittersweet.
Spicy: Chili pepper. Cinnamon. Mulling Spice (w/citrus rind). Salt. White pepper.
Woody: Oak wood (mainly generic). Cedar wood.
Vegetal: Bell Pepper (trace on finish).
Earthy: Dust. Moss.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

Appearance W
Construction O
Combustion I
Flavors/Body O
Strength A

NOTES

• Cinnamon raisin bread, toasted, placed warm on butcher block.
• Dried fruit note is purely raisin.
• Honey/creamy are tandem and light.
• Top-leaf cracks 3/4" ahead of burn a few puffs in (came slightly damaged).
• Cinnamon raisin toast dials back and inch in. Peppers and gamey note muscle.
• ...citrus up-ticks, balances gamey. Woods get bigger, still rather generic. Wood shavings?
• Pale, sturdy ash; even at top-leaf bugaboo.
• Flavors thin, but last longer. Kinda flow together. Odd finish.
• Cedar comes in near an inch.
• Seems to need a good majority of the 1/3 to settle its profile.
• Packaging has softened a bunch off last couple pulls.
• Sweet > spicy > sweet: all in 1/3.
• Pre-existing bugaboo in top-leaf gets smoked through.
• Excellent combustion.
• Lagging construction: Seam loosens a tick at burn.
• Finish settles, cleans. Bittersweet.
• Dense dry ash rolled off at inch+. Burn wavers.
• Smoke pours. Dry room-note (fruity)

ACT II

FLAVORS

Sweet: Fresh fruit. Honey (very thin). Creamy (muted). Sugar. Black Cherry. Bittersweet.
Spicy: Chili pepper. Cinnamon. Salt. White pepper. Cloves.
Woody: Oak wood (mainly generic). Cedar wood. Toasted. Aromatic tobacco.
Vegetal: Bell Pepper. Floral. Citrus.
Earthy: Dust (lessens). Moss. Peat.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

Appearance O
Construction O
Combustion W
Flavors/Body O
Strength A

NOTES

• Citrus flexes more, gets juicier. Other fruits added.
• Gamey note drops off.
• Cinnamon raisin note is all but gone.
• Leathery body now.
• Bell pepper hits draw.
• Very leathery -- missing chart.
• Smallish re-touch of line. Eagerly accepted.
• Flavor profile remains somewhat unsettled.
• Bread comes in, a rye. Again -- missing chart.
• Vague nut vibe.
• Smoke gets a blue-green tint.
• Packs softens noticeably. Draw dampens, flavors too.
• Burn-line wavers. Another re-touch, accepted.
• Ash darkens.
• Very fruity with bread and leather.
• Not much added on retro-hale.

ACT III

FLAVORS

Sweet: Fresh>Dry fruit. Honey (very thin). Creamy (on finish, underneath). Sugar. Black Cherry.
Spicy: Chili pepper (less). Cinnamon. Salt (lips). White pepper. Cloves. Ginger (vibe)
Woody: Oak wood (mainly generic, less). Cedar wood. Toasted. Aromatic tobacco.
Vegetal: Grass, fresh. Hay, fresh. Bell Pepper. Floral. Citrus. Nuts, raw.
Earthy: Dust (mouth-feel). Moss. Peat. Chicken coup.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

Appearance W
Construction O
Combustion O
Flavors/Body W
Strength P

NOTES

• Ash re-pales. Smoke back to white.
• Lots of leather oils, seen on shaft as well.
• Sweetening on the tongue.
• Clean, but a tick dry mouth-feel.
• Flavors mottling a tad (purge).
• Re-touch.
• Flavor notes are somewhat hard to separate.
• ^unchanged 2/3 notes marry a bit and alter thusly.
• Seams comes a tick loose at burn+ 1/4".
• Fruits dry.
• Vanilla note stays for an inch.
• Packing near completely re-firms near band.
• Smoke stays cool.
• Goes out with a bang in a way quite like 1/3.

Never seems to settle and accomplish what it sets out to do. Totally enjoyable smoke (sans more re-touches than I'd like), but with my pretentious critic's hat on -- it misses more shots than it lands.

FINAL GRADE

****B****

REMEMBER: Tune into the next Radio Herf (check local listings) for the reveal.
POSTSCRIPT: In the interest of uniformity, I will be working from a flavor chart via Stogie Fresh.